Asphalt Seepage Deadly To 46 Fish In Lehigh Twp.

June 20, 1985|by RICH HARRY, The Morning Call

An estimated 46 fish were killed this week when a tarlike substance being used in a municipal road paving project worked its way into a small trout- stocked pond near Timberline Road in Lehigh Township.

Terry Hannold, waterways conservation officer for Northampton County, said the material apparently crept into a crack in Timberline Road, then into a crack in a submerged drainage pipe and then into a tributary of Bertsch Creek that leads to the privately owned pond.

"I'm not sure whether it's a total wipe-out," Hannold said yesterday of the mishap at John Meyer's pond.

Hannold said cleanup operations by the township were successful in removing the substance, which was described as a thin mixture of asphalt and water. Hannold said later in the day that 10 to 15 fish are still in the pond and that their chance for survival is "good."

The paving was being done on Tuesday by a subcontractor for the township, Loder & Sharp, Quakertown, when workers were notified by Meyer that fish were being affected in his four-foot-deep pond.

The county fish commission was subsequently notified, and two deputy waterways conservation officers, James Stout and Leon Creyer, were sent to the scene.

"Fish were the only thing they could find," said Hannold. "But I'm sure there also were some invertebrates - aquatic insects - although they are impossible to find."

The dammed pond was described as being 20 feet long and 8 feet wide, located about 20 yards from Timberline Road.

"He had those fish for years," Hannold said of Meyer. The pond still can be restocked without any consequences, Hannold said.

"It's not a long-lasting effect; it's just a one-shot," he said.

Meyer could not be reached yesterday.

Silfies said precautions had been taken during the road project, and Hannold agreed that the township and its subcontractor did nothing "intentional or flagrant" when the estimated 2 gallons of material seeped into the pond.

Hannold declined to say whether any fines are forthcoming.

The state Department of Environmental Resources has been notified, and Hannold said he wants to make sure the faulty drainage pipe is corrected.

"I think the township has learned to check its pipes a little better," he added.

Silfies, however, expressed doubt that the pipe had any role in the accident. He said the galvanized aluminum pipe is "brand new."

"I really don't know how it happened," said Silfies. He said rock beneath the road may have helped the substance seep into the tributary.

It was unclear what in the substance killed the fish. Hannold said information he received was that the material is called "Emulsion E5," which he described as "probably an additive to asphalt."

Silfies said his understanding is that the tarlike matter is safe, that it had been used on "98 to 99 percent" of township roads for years and that it will continue to be used. The work on Timberline Road has been completed, and a section of Granger Road will be worked on in time, Silfies said.

"The trouble is, you always have a small amount of runoff," he said. "We always try to be as careful as we can."

Both Silfies and Hannold described the pond contamination as a freak accident, the first in either man's experience with municipal road projects.

"And hopefully it's the last," Silfies added.

Tuesday's road work began about 7:30 a.m., and workers were told of the fish kill around 3 p.m.

The cleanup operation that followed included a part of the pond being pumped out by the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Co. and the placement of limestone and bales of hay to keep the tarlike substance from further infiltration.

Hannold praised the firefighters for their prompt work in helping contain the contamination to the pond. Beyond is the main trunk of Bertsch Creek, which links with the Lehigh River. Hannold said the river was not affected and at no time faced any danger of contamination.